chavanne



A. CHAVANNE.

Mail-Bag Catchen Patented-July 25, 1865.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDRE OHAVANNE, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING AND DELIVERING MAIL-BAGS TO AND FROM RAlLROAD TRAINS AND STATIONS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 49,056, dated July 25, 1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDRE: CHAVANNE, of Paris, France, have invented a new and Improved Apparatus for Oatchin g M ail-Bags from a Railway-Train in Motion; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in whicht Figure 1 represents a side elevation of this invention. Fig. 2 is anend view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

The object of this invention is a device or apparatus by means of which a mail-bag or other package carried on a railroad-train can be deposited on any station and at the same time a bag or package from the station delivered to the train while said train is moving at its full speed. This object is effected by the application to the mail-car of a slotted tubular case provided with a springhook, from which the mail-bag or package tobe deliveredissuspend ed, in combination with a stationary horizontal pointed rod and support, which serves to sustain the mail-bag or package to be delivered from a station in such a manner that when the train passes the station the horizontal pointed rod or spike runs into a loop secured to thelower surface of the bag or package which is suspended from the spring-hook in the tubular ease, and at the same time the mail-bag or package resting on the support in the station is knocked off and caught by the tubular case, and after the train has passed the station the mail-agent in the car can take in the bag or package from the tubular case and put up another for the next'station, and the master of the station just passed can remove the bag or package from the spike at his leasure, and, it'necessary, adj ustanother mail-bag before the arrival of the next mail-train.

A represents a tubular case, which is secured to the top of the mail-car, projecting over its side, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Said case is made of sheet metal or any other suitable material, and it is provided with a springhook, a, on its inner top surface, capable to receive and support a mail-bag, B, or any other package which may be provided for this purpose, with loops 1), through which the springhook passes, as shown. These loops are secured to the upper surface of the bag, and from its lower surface is suspended a ring, 0, the ob-. ject of which will be presently explain-ed.

Two semi-cylindrical bushes, (l, secured to the interior of the case A on opposite sides of the mailbag or package as shown in Fig. 2, serve to keep the same from swaying to and fro by the motion of the car, and a screen, 0, made of cords or other suitable flexible material, is extended transversely across the interior of the case A, its four ends being secured to rods j, which are firmly fastened to the case, and which allow said screen to move in a longitudinal direct-ion.

The car to which the case A is secured is supposed to move in the direction of the arrow marked on the case in the Fig. 1 toward the station, from which rises a post supporting a spike, g, bent so as to point in a horizontal direction, and provided with two lateral points, z, much shorter than the main spike g, and risin g fromlits sides for the purpose of supporting the mailbag or package (l, which is to be delivered to the passing train. A spring, h, secured to the upper surface of the spike g, and pointing in a direction opposite to the point thereof, catches in the ring attached to the under surface of said mail-bag or other package, and thereby said bag or package is prevented from dropping off accidentally from the trident g i.

A spring-catch, is, attached to the vertical shank of the spike 9, serves to retain the bag or package, which is to be adjusted on the trident g i from the passing train, as will be presently explained.

WVhen the train passes the station the mailbag or package B in the case A comes in contact with the mail-bag or package 0 on the tridentg i, and at the same time the ring 0 passes over the spike g. The inertia of the bag or package 0 forces the bag or packageB out of the spring-hook a, and by the momentum of the bag or package B the bag or package 0 is forced off from the tridentgz', and, being caught by the open case A, is carried along on the car, while the bag or package B, being retained by its ring a catching over the spike g, is deposited on the trident g i. After the train has passed the station, therefore, the mailagent has plenty time to take the bag or package 0 from the open case A and to put in another for the next station, and the station-master or mailagent on the station has time to take from the trident the bag or package 13 and put on another bag or package for the next mail-train, if

' he desires.

The screen a in the case A serves to prevent the bag or package 0 passing clear through the case, and in order to ease off the blow said screen is made movable. Mail-bags are constructed expressly for this purpose. They are made with elastic ends to prevent injury when the same come in contact.

A. GHAVANNE.

Witnesses:

E. SHERMAN GOULD, DAVID Tnos. FULLER. 

